CES is all about consumer electronics, so why do service providers go to the Las Vegas event? The answer is an easy one. More and more of the electronics consumers buy are connected to the networks that service providers manage, and to the applications those networks enable. Buy a new phone, and you’re dependent on one of the mobile carriers to make it work. Buy a Roku, or virtual reality headset or connected TV, and you’ve got your wireline ISP to thank (or blame) for the entertainment experience.

Attending CES is partly about visibility for service providers, but it’s even more about learning what innovations are on the horizon and making deals to bring those innovations profitably to market. Here’s what service providers are focused on for CES 2017.

WiFi at home
A recent study by Sandvine found that the average North American household now has more than seven connected devices active every day, and it’s because of that demand on the home network that technologists have steered their energies toward improving home WiFi connections. Internet service providers are particularly keen on bettering WiFi performance because they’re the ones that get the call when a user is unhappy. Estimates suggest that more than half of customer service calls are WiFi-related. (See Assia Lands WiFi Tech On Hitron CPE.)

NCTC – The Independent Show 2017For more information, please visit nctconline.org. July 23-26 2017 Indianapolis, IN The Speed of Life -- The rate at which customers expect their high speed data, content delivery and customer service to keep...